The Singer
by Girl29
Summary: Bella has been hunted by vampires practically her whole life. Can she fight them? Can Edward save her before it's too late. Twilight meets kill bill: b/c the only sword strong enough to kill a vampire is a hatori hanzo sword: rated M for violence.
1. Preface

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the plots or characters created by Stephanie Meyer or Quentin Tarantino. Rated M for mature themes and violence.

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_Preface_

_December 12__th__ 1998:_

I walked through the aisles of the department store, running my fingers through the silky fabrics of the dresses and blouses that hung on the racks. I marveled in the bright colors and floral patterns as the delicate designs slid across my fingertips. I closed my eyes, and imagined one day, when I was all grown up, and had a husband and little girl of my own, that we would spend a day at the park, and I would wear a beautiful bright yellow sun dress, just like the one that had left my hands seconds ago.

I opened my eyes, turned around, and I gasped when my body smashed into something cold and hard. His hands were like ice as they gripped onto my arms to keep me from falling to the ground.

He knelt down to my level, to speak to me in a smooth and musical voice.

"Hello Sunshine." The stranger said as he lifted my wrist to his face and inhaled deeply.

I knew I should run, or scream, or fight, but I couldn't look away from his eyes. So peculiar they were, like nothing I had ever seen before. They were the brightest shade of red, and seemed to swimming with emotion.

"I've heard stories, but I never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it possible. _La Tua Cantante._" He mumbled. A smile spread across his lips as they parted, revealing perfect white teeth.

I heard a horribly loud piercing sound cut through my eardrums, and time seemed to slow down as I saw several things happen at once.

I saw my mom run over to me and scoop me up, spinning me around and cradling me in her arms. The noise suddenly stopped and I realized that her screams were the source of the noise that rang through my ears.

I saw 2 security guards rush by us, drawing their guns from their holsters as they advanced towards the stranger.

I saw the stranger; disappear in a blur, but not before making eye contact with me one last time, and mouthing the words "I'll find you."


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the plots or characters created by Stephanie Meyer or Quentin Tarantino. Rated M for mature themes and violence.

Chapter 1

I was nine years old and this was my last memory of her, holding me in her arms, warm and safe. That night, Charlie came to get me and brought me with him to his home in Forks, Washington. It was supposed to only be for a week-two at the most. All that changed when the next morning, we got a phone call that Renee had disappeared. Her car was found abandoned on the side of the road. They never found her body.

Charlie was never the same after learning of Renee's disappearance. He was losing his mind. I sat cross-legged on the floor and watched him walk around the house, slamming doors and punching the walls. He screamed profanities at the top of his lungs before he collapsed onto the couch and started sobbing.

"Why…why her," he mumbled over and over again through his tears.

Charlie finally fell asleep. It was then that I cried. I didn't want to be here anymore. I didn't want to stay with Charlie. I wanted my mom back. I decided I would run away. I didn't understand that she was lost to me forever. I thought I could find her, and make things right again.

I quietly got up and tip toed around Charlie. I stopped dead in my tracks when his cell phone started ringing. I grabbed it off the table. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the name on the caller ID. Renee. I urgently flipped it open.

"Hello! Mommy! Where are you? I miss you so much."

"I'm coming for you." The voice on the other end whispered.

The phone went dead.

"CHARLIE!" I yelled. I ran over to him and started tugging on his arm. "Charlie, wake up! She's back!"

"Bella what on earth is going on?" He questioned. His eyes narrowed.

"Mommy! She's coming to get me."

"Bella, that's enough!" His jaw clenched and his eyes turned hard. Why was he getting angry? This was good news.

"No. I'm serious." My voice cracked. "She said-"

"Isabella, I can't do this right now. Go to your room." He covered his face with his hands.

"But…"

"GO!"

I ran up the stairs to my room. I slammed the door shut and crawled into my bed. I shaken awake sometime during the night by Charlie.

"Bella I have someone that needs to talk to you."

I nodded, still groggy.

Charlie left my room. After a few minutes, he returned with an older woman. She wore a navy blue pantsuit. Her white hair was cropped into a short bob. She introduced herself as Felicity. Felicity explained that she would be taking me out of the house for a few days to provide Charlie respite until the investigation over Renee's disappearance concluded.

"It's going to be ok Bells, it's just going to be for a couple of days." Charlie smiled at me, but it did not reach his eyes.

"Do you promise? You won't forget about me will you?"

"Yes honey, I promise."

"Ok." I agreed.

Charlie never came back for me. After about a week of staying with different families, Child Protective Services intervened and took me into foster care. After 3 months of moving around from group home to group home, I was adopted. The couple that adopted me did not stay in the United States long. A death in the family caused us to relocate to Okinawa, Japan to help with the funeral preparations. That is where I grew up.

The three of us lived in an apartment above the family restaurant. I went to my classes during the day, and helped downstairs in the restaurant whenever I had free time. The chaos that had become my life finally started to settle down. My life was finally beginning to become normal.

It did not last long. My normal life ended the day I met Hattori Hanzo. He was to be our new chef, rumored to be the finest chef in all Japan. However, more infamous than his cooking skills was his ability to craft the most dangerous swords the world has ever seen. With blades so deadly they could slice through stone as easily as scissors cutting through paper.

Only three of the infamous Hatori Hanzo swords exist in the world. After his last creation was used to massacre 20 women and children in a small town just south of here 2 years ago, he vowed never to create another sword again.

I worked side by side with him, washing dished while cooked. He told me the tales of how his great great grandfather crafted the first Hanzo sword in the early 1500's to protect his family from the Jiang Shi, cold undead creatures that drain the bodies of the living so they can continue to exist. He told me of the legends of how they came to be, and how to kill them. As he continued his tale, my mind drifted back to my last memory of Renee and the crimson eyed stranger.

I gasped.

"I have met one!" Shock spread across my face as I realized just how close I had come to dying that day in the mall.

"Impossible!" He grunted as slammed his knife into the chopping block.

"No! I'm serious. It was in the states before I came here. He had light brown and pale skin. And his eyes were red. And he was cold. Just like ones in your story."

It was silent for a moment. He pursed his lips and stared blankly at the kitchen wall.

Finally he spoke.

"How is it that you continue to live?"

"My mom, Renee. She got to me before he could, and so he ran away."

Silence.

"I told you I met one."

More silence.

This was uncomfortable.

"And he talked to me too. He called me a funny name. He called me a Tuba Candy." I laughed. "whatever that is supposed to mean." I shrugged and went back to washing dishes.

"La Tua Cantante." He whispered.

"Oh….that's a little different" I looked down trying to hide my embarrassment. "So….do you know what it means?" I meekly asked.

"It means that your blood was calling to him stronger than any other and, he will stop and nothing to get to you until he drains every last drop from your body."

I didn't even get to say goodbye. Hanzo dragged me upstairs to my room and threw all of my clothes into a bag. He was sending me away. I tried to tell him to stop, but all that came out was a whimper.

"Lets go!" He commanded. I shook my head furiously. He slapped me across the face. My ears rang. Tears stung my eyes, and my vision became blurry, before everything went black.

July 16th, 2006:

Five months before my 10th birthday, Hanzo tore me away from my family and sent to train with Martial Arts Master Pai Mei at his temple in China. I know now that things are better this way. He had known they would come for me, and murder anyone who stood in the way of their lust for my blood. La Tua Cantante. 'My blood sings for them.' As if I were custom made for each and every one of them. My blood- my curse.

The first time one attacked I had been helpless. It was shortly after I arrived at the temple. The warms rays of the sun gave me a false sense of comfort and security. I was practicing alone near the front steps of the temple with my katana, a sword crafted for me by Hatori Hanzo himself. The finest creation I have ever made. I saw the blur of colors dance across the silver blade of my sword seconds before I saw her flowing black hair and crimson eyes, standing inches away from where I stood, frozen.

I dropped my blade and shrunk back against the temple wall as I watched her crouch down, readying herself to pounce at me and feast on my blood. I squeezed my eyes shut waiting for the pain of her bite.

When it didn't come, my eyes fluttered open to see Pai Mei's blade slide through the middle of her waist. The sound as it cut her stung my ears. It was as if I was hearing a head on collision between two SUV's crashing against each other at 100mph.

Her severed torso fell at my feet. I screamed as her icy fingers coiled around my ankle. Her nails dug into my skin as she pulled me closer to her face. Her head thrashed around and she growled as her teeth snapped open and closed, trying to get close enough to take a bite from my leg. In another instant her arms were cut from her body. Her fingers released their grasp on my ankle and I kicked her hands away as they fell at my feet.

I watched in amazement as Pai Mei sliced off her head, her feet, and then chopped her torso into smaller pieces. He gathered her remains into a pile and set them on fire. Sweet smelling black smoke fill the air.

Pai Mei's stomped over to where I was standing, his eyes never losing contact with my own. In the next instant, my feet left the ground and Pai Mei's hands were wrapped around my throat. I winced as he slammed the back of my head against the stone temple wall.

"DON'T YOU EVER, ever drop your sword again, or I will kill you myself." He spat as he dropped my limp body to the ground next to my katana.

For years we fought the Jiang Shi together. Together. Until one week ago.

I ran up the steps to the temple, exhausted, yet exhilarated from my latest kill. I entered the temple and slid open the door to the great-room to find Pai Mei's body, crumpled and lifeless on the floor.

He neck was twisted at an awkward angle; such to that gaze of his eyes were set on his shoulder blades. I cringed upon seeing the bones and his arm sticking out puncturing through his now lavender skin. And there was no blood. It was as if the Jiang Shi drained him of all his life's blood and then discarded his body by tossing it over the 2nd floor railing.

Instinctively, I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed back the tears that threatened to spill over. Spiteful, murdering, soulless…leeches. I crept through the temple, my katana drawn, surveying every room for the perpetrator. I surveyed every room and every room came up empty.

I could not stop the tear from falling now. With tears of anger streaming down my face, I ran out into the center of the yard with my sword by my side. "COME OUT YOU LEECHES!" I yelled. "WHY DO YOU HIDE FROM ME NOW! You want me? I am here!"

"And I am prepared to die." I whispered to myself as I brought my blade up to my face and ran my fingertips lightly over the edge of my sword, drawing blood.

There was a rustle in the trees to the left of the temple. My eyes grew wide as a blur of never ending white forms emerged from the shadows. They were all rushing towards me at once. And I fought them. My blade sliced through hundreds of fingers, and arms, and feet, creating a growing pile of body parts with each slice.

Some of them destroyed each other. Newborns. Stronger than the others, but also more impulsive. My war with the Jiang Shi went on well into the middle of the night. My sword became heavy. My breathing became shallow. My arms became stiff. Two left. I thought to myself as one chased me into the interior of the temple. I slid under the kitchen table, coming out from the other side. I chopped his head off as he stood across from me on the other side of the table. I walked behind his headless frame as I chopped off his right arm, and sliced through his torso before finishing off his legs and left arm in a star shaped design. I grabbed a tea light off the table and threw it at his remains. The hot wax ran over the jagged pieces of shattered glass as the flames engulfed his body.

Last one. I sprinted up the stairs to my room, and waited in the darkness with my back against the wall. I didn't have to wait long. She crashed through the door with so much force that it splintered and fell off its hinges. I stabbed my sword, straight through her stomach. I watched her hands claw at the sides of the blade. I made eye contact with her before I twisted the sword inside of her stomach and brought it up through the top of her skull. The screeching metallic sound was music to my ears as I sliced through her body.

She grasped at the sides of her head, in a futile attempt to put herself back together. I cut through her ankles. The top half of her body fell to the ground. I cut off her arms, her fingers, her legs, and then what was left of her hands. I kicked her dismembered body parts into a pile. All that was left of her was the upper part of her torso, which was split in two from her abdomen to the top of her head.

I stabbed the knife edge of my sword into her eye. She let out a death defying scream. Her eyeball clung to my sword and popped out of its socket. I used my fingertips to remove the stone eye from the sword, before grabbing a pack of matches from my night stand, and setting my room on fire. I moved quickly then. I ran across the hall to Pei Mei's room, emptied all of the money he had stashed away in his drawer into my pockets.

I ran down the stairs, stopping at Pei Mei's crumpled body. I closed his eyes and lightly kissed his hair before lighting the last match which would erase all that was Pei Mei. I exited through the temple doors ran outside to the front steps. It was morning now, and the sun was just rising over the northern mountains. I looked back at the temple, which was now just and outline beneath the smoke and flames, one last time before I walked away from it forever.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the plots or characters created by Stephanie Meyer or Quentin Tarantino. Rated M for mature themes and violence.

**A/N: **Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. Links for the chapters will be up in my profile. I have links for Chap 1 up now. In my story I will use katana/sword interchangably.

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I made it through town and to the airport without any trouble. It was sunny and the streets were packed with people. The Jiang Shi would not risk exposure in front of so many humans. Once I arrived at the airport, I went to the counter and purchased a ticket for the next available flight; New York, USA. I didn't care where I was going, as long as it wasn't here.

A line was starting to form as I waited for the counter clerk to finish processing my order. The airport was starting to get crowded, and the next patron in line stood closely behind me. Too close. I could feel his cool breath panting against the back of my neck. My body started to involuntarily shake. My stomach tightened into a knot. The more I inched forward, the closer he got. His brown hair brushed across my cheek as he leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Hello Sunshine. I've been waiting for you." It was him.

"Are you two together?" The clerk inquired. She hesitated to hand me my ticket. I reached across the counter and snatched it from her. I turned away from the counter and threw myself into the crowd of travelers making their way towards the terminal. He chased me at human speed.

"Stay away from me" I said, loud enough that I knew he would be able to hear.

He was getting closer. Several people moaned and yelled at me as I pushed them out of my way. I spotted the security gate and dived towards it. I made it through, but he was stopped by a guard.

"Can't let you through without a ticket." The guard told him.

I did not stop to look back. I ran to my terminal and boarded the plane.

It took me 48 hours to fly from China to New York. It took me another week to hitch hike across the U.S. from New York to Washington. As I made my way along the highway away from the airport, a young guy who looked to be about my age pulled up next to me in his truck, and offered me a ride. He was going to Forks. I hadn't decided I would go back to Forks until that very moment. Anywhere was better than being here, out in the open, and exposed. And what if Charile was still alive. I could protect him now.

We rode in the truck in silence. I held my sword tightly in my lap. Every few minutes he would look over at me, his eyes lingering a little too long on the curves of my body. I was starting to panic. I let my hair fall over my left shoulder, creating a veil between us. He exhaled loudly and flipped on the radio to an oldies station. The tunes (All my loving by the Beatles) blared out of the stereo:

Close your eyes and I'll kiss you

Tomorrow I'll miss you…..

I felt the seat dip and his body leaned closer to mine. My fingers wrapped tighter around the hand of my sword. Breathe Bella. He is just a boy.

Remember I'll always be true

I sucked in a deep breath of air. It didn't stop my heart from pounding in my chest. Why couldn't he just leave me alone?

And then while I'm away

I'll write home every day

He reached over slowly and ran his fingers through my hair and tucked it behind my ear. His hand brushed over my collarbone, around the curve of my shoulder and down my arm as he leaned in closer and whispered in my ear:

"And I'll send all my loving to you"

I lost it. With as much force as I could muster I brought the handle of my sword up in front of me and slammed it into his face. His head flew back with a sickening cracking sound.

I'll pretend that I am missing

The lips I am kissing

The truck veered towards the left into the lane of on-coming traffic. I drew the sword back against my side and then shoved the handle into his stomach as hard as I could. His breath was abruptly cut off, and his body fell towards mine.

And pretend that my dreams will come true 

I climbed over his body, which now laid face down on the seat, to the driver side of the car. I grabbed the steering wheel and navigating the truck back towards the right side of the road.

And then while I'm away

I'll write home every day

And I'll send all my loving to you

I look over at him, laying there. Broken. Holy Crow, what have I done. I opened the glove box and searched frantically for a cell phone, something! I found his wallet. The name on the ID read Mike Newton. I'm so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Newton, I think I just killed your son.

All my loving I will give to you

I pocketed what cash he had in his wallet before veering off the highway and following the signs to Forks General Hospital.

All my loving darling I'll be true

I brought the truck to a stop in front of the emergency room. I ran around to the passenger side of the door and pulled Mike out of the car. His legs scraped across the sidewalk as I dragged him through the parking lot, supporting as much of his body as I could, into the ER.

The sliding doors opened, and I found myself standing in the middle of chaos.

"Oh my Gosh!" I heard someone gasp, "It's the Newton's boy! Someone Page Dr. Cullen!"

Two techs pulled Mike Newton away from me and loaded him onto a stretcher. I turned quickly to leave.

It seemed as though all everyone was occupied attending to my victim. I have to get out of here before they-

"Stop her! Hey you! You can not leave yet."

Damn it. So close! There was something familiar about the voice that called out to me. My head turned toward the direction of the voice, my eyes absorbed the most beautiful, and at the same time the most frightening thing I have ever seen. He moved towards me with an inhuman grace. Almost gliding across the room.

His eyes were different, so very different. Not crimson or the thirsty black color I had become accustomed to. They were golden, matching the shade of his hair perfectly. And he was gorgeous. As he advanced closer to me, my fear began to take over. As beautiful as he was, he was still one of them. I realized I had come in to this building, alone, and unprotected. My Katana was still in Mike Newton's truck.

I couldn't control the screams that escaped my lips. I clasped my hands over my mouth, in a futile attempt to make them stop.

"Dr. Cullen, what is wrong with her?" I heard a woman's voice say.

"Shock possibly." Oh, he had no Idea.

"Please bring her to my office Mary."

I shook my head violently. "No!"

"Ms..." Dr. Cullen started. I knew he was waiting for me to respond, but there was no way in hell I was going to give him what he wanted.

After a few seconds of awkward silence between us, he started over. "Miss, there is a young man back there, with a concussion and cracked ribs. He is unconscious, which means, the only person who can give us the knowledge we need to treat his injuries, is you. So, young lady, If you would be so kind.."

I briefly thought of my chances of running back to the truck before someone would catch me. I had to admit, they were not good. Not with a vampire who could easily outrun me standing inches away. The security guard who was now posted at the door could be a problem as well. And, on top of that, I did not want Mike Newton to die. It had never been my intention to hurt him like I did. I couldn't take back the damage that was done, but I could help to save him now. I followed Dr. Cullen into his office.

I sat across from Dr. Cullen in his office, on the other side of his oak desk. His eyes were slightly darker now, and I wondered if he was becoming thirsty. If he was under any distress, he hid it well as he went through his questions.

"Name?"

"Next question."

"Miss, If you do not..."

"I do not see how that is of any importance. NEXT question please Doctor."

"What is your relationship to the patient?"

"I only met him today. He gave me a ride into town."

"How did Mr. Newton obtain his injuries?"

"Well, we were driving, and he grabbed me, so I hit him."

"I am going to need you to be more specific. What exactly happened?"

I was hoping to avoid getting into the little details. What could I say? 'I'm used to spending my time fighting against vampires and so, when the first human boy I meet tries to touch me, I go postal and beat sword until he went into a coma.' That would never work. Not to mention that I robbed him.

"I don't know, it all happened so fast." That was true.

"Miss, this is extremely important and I need you to be honest with me."

"Ok..." I whispered "we were in the truck, and I had my sword in my lap. Mike was looking at me, kind of creepy you know. So I tried to ignore him."

I looked at Dr. Cullen. He nodded reassuringly so I continued.

"And then, he leaned over to me, and…... he touched me. And I didn't want him to. I was so scared." I wiped a stray tear away from my eyes with the back of my hand.

"I didn't know how to make him stop. And so…..I hit him, with the handle of my sword. First in the bottom of his jaw. I think…..I think his head might have slammed against the window. And then, in the stomach. Then I drove him here."

"I am very sorry. Are you ok?"

"Yes. I'll be fine. Is that all Dr. Cullen? Can I leave now?"

"No. I am afraid not. I understand that Mr. Newton assaulted you, and you were acting out of self defense, however as a health care professional, I have a responsibility to report this information to the proper authorities."

He wouldn't, would he? My muscles stiffened and my heart rate jumped. I felt the walls closing in on me and I looked frantically around the room for a way out.

"Please, don't be afraid anymore. You do not have to go through this alone. I am here for you. Or if you prefer, Mary can stay with you."

There was kindness in his eyes as he said this, and in my heart I really wanted to trust in him, that things would be ok. But in my head, I knew better. At any minute his thirst could take over and he could turn homicidal on me. I couldn't be here anymore. I had to get away from him, away from this town.

"I am going to call the police now and make the report now so I can start attending to Mr. Newton and his injuries. It is going to be ok." He said with such sincerity. He really did care about my feelings. It was easy now to see why the people here trusted him so. "How about you try and relax, and we can get through this together." He smiled kindly.

"Or..." I whispered as I stood up. I hated that I had to come to this, I could see no other way. "How about you don't call them…. and I won't let everyone in this hospital know that you are a vampire." I looked directly into his eyes as I said this so he would know that I was not bluffing.

"How..." He shook his head and shrank back into his chair. "...well that changes things then."

I smiled, but it did not reach my eyes. "Now, I have to go. After I leave this office Doctor, _both_ of us can go on as if the other never existed."

I did not know what happened to the vampires whom exposed themselves to humans, but I knew it was not good. Hanzo equated it to snitching on a mafia member. No sane vampire would risk it.

I walked briskly out of Dr. Cullen's office.

I made it through the lobby.

I kept my head down as I walked and slipped through the sliding glass doors undetected. My pace picked up to a slow jog. I rounded the south corner of the building toward the Newton boy's truck. I wasn't looking were I was going. I was more pre-occupied with hiding my face than paying attention to what was in front of it.

I shouldn't have been surprised when I slammed into a wall, but the jolt that ran through by body as I collided with it surprised me. There was a tingling sensation that ran from my chest through my arms, and I felt like my skin was on fire. I tried to push myself away from the wall and was met with resistance.

I couldn't move!

One icy hand wrapped around my shoulder. Fingers dug into my skin. The other hand wound itself in my hair and curled into a fist as it pulled my head sideways, exposing the full length of my neck. My worst nightmare had come true.

There was no way I could fight him. Not like this. Time seemed to slow down and I absorbed every detail as his mouth moved to my throat. The smooth skin of his neck. His angular jaw. His dark thirsty eyes. His messy bronze hair. He was "so beautiful" I whispered to myself.

His fluid movements became stiff. He pulled his head away from my neck, just enough so that I could see his eyes. He looked distracted? He slightly loosened his hold on me, and I used that moment to twist myself out of his grasp, then I ran. I ran towards the footsteps and voices that I could hear now. They were coming from the parking lot.

I hid behind a car when I spotted them. It was an older couple, maybe in their mid 40's. A blond woman, with acrylic nails and a grey haired man walked arm in arm. The woman was crying hysterically into the man's shoulder. They were being escorted into the hospital by two police officers.

I crawled behind the cars, using them as a shield until I reached Mike Newton's truck. I reached up and opened the driver side door. I felt around on the seat until my fingers made contact with the handle of my most prized possession. And then suddenly I was running. My feet pushing me farther and farther away from the hospital and closer to the only place I could think to go.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the plots or characters created by Stephanie Meyer or Quentin Tarantino. Rated M for mature themes and violence.

I sprinted as fast as I could away from the hospital. Nothing looked familiar to me anymore. It wasn't long before I found myself lost in the woods. I wandered through the maze of trees, looking for a path that would lead me back to the main road. It felt like I had walked the same path a hundred times and gotten nowhere.

I followed a trail into a clearing and found myself standing across from my attacker.

The beautiful bronze haired boy stared at me with hungry eyes and a devious crooked smile.

"What are you doing here" I whispered. I already knew the answer.

He smirked. "Don't be absurd. You know what I am. You must know that what is going to happen now is inevitable."

Oh No. _No!_ _Not him._ Why couldn't they just leave me alone. Now I had no choice but to kill him. Tears of anger and sadness started to pool in my eyes. _Not now._ I swallowed back the lump that was rising in my throat and pushed back the tears that wanted to fall for boy I would never know.

My feelings confused me. I had never wanted to keep one of them alive before. Of course he was insanely beautiful, but most of their kind were. Something stronger than physical attraction was making me feel drawn to him. It was almost as if I wanted to...protect him.

Maybe, it didn't have to be this way. Maybe he could just leave.

"Leave now. And no one will have to die." I pleaded.

He moved towards me.

"I'm afraid that is not an option."

One step closer.

Don't do this.

Two steps closer. 

Stop. 

Three….

Four….

That's it.

I pointed by sword at his throat, angling my body behind it to create a barrier between us.

He chuckled.

"Silly Human, do you really think you can fight me?"

Such arrogance. It irritated me to no end that, while I thought him glorious and unique, he thought of me as nothing more than some common human girl.

I couldn't kill him. Even in a rage of anger, I didn't think I would be able to strike the match that would end his life. But he will fear me. I will chop him up into tiny little pieces, and show him just how dangerous common can be.

"I'm not your average, _silly._ Human. Girl."

I took a step towards him.

"Very well then, Have it your way."

He crouched down in a cat-like stance and pounced forward. I raised my sword above my head and ran towards him. I slid between his legs, allowing my blade to make contact with his torso. I quickly launched myself to my feet. We faced each other simultaneously.

"Impressive" he mused.

He fingered the indentation my blade left on his chest through his now tattered shirt. He slid the remainder of the cloth from his shoulders, and threw his shirt to the ground.

"Now" he continued, "Where were we?"

He was much faster than the others. He slithered among the trees, disappearing and reappearing within their shadows. One second, he was yards away from me, the next his fist was slamming into my chest. I stumbled backwards, tripping over a rock. I lost my grip on the sword as I fell crashing to the ground.

My back arched in response to the sharp pain that ran through my leg. I flexed my fingers. The tips of them just reached the handle of my katana. Come on. He kneeled over me. He ran his fingers across my forehead, tracing my jaw, and leading a trail down to my collarbone. There was no where left to run. I wrapped my fingers wrapped around the handle and I used all my force to thrust it in front of me.

I hit my target. The sound was pure agony as the metal pierced through his chest. He fell to the ground next to me.

"I may have under-estimated you." He whispered.

"You didn't think it'd be that easy did you?" I whispered back.

"Yeah. For a second, I kind of did."

"You will not make that mistake again, understand?" He moaned and nodded as I shoved my sword deeper into his body.

"Listen to me." I continued, "I will allow you to live for two reasons…"

The first reason was one that I could never tell him. I didn't know if I was even ready to admit it to myself. I couldn't go on living, knowing that no one would ever hear his smooth silky voice, or see his mischievous smile again. It didn't matter that he wanted me dead. I was falling for him.

"The second reason, is so that you can tell the others that cross your path what has happened here tonight. You are the extent of my mercy. You are the first vampire to walk away from my blade and you will be the last."

I pulled the blade out of his chest.

Silence.

I could not hear the sound of his breathing. I could no longer feel the chill from his skin. He was gone.

I recomposed myself and tried to climb to my feet. My left leg collapsed under my weight with a sickening crack. I couldn't hold back the scream that escaped my lips. I gripped my ankle in both of my hands, in a futile attempt to stop the pain.

I was a sitting duck, in the middle of the forest, unable to run or hide or fight. I curled into a fetal position and hugged my knees to my chest. I could not stop these tears from falling. I was as good as dead.

It has taken me Ten days to travel from china to forks. It would take my hunter less than half that time to make the same trip. How long had I been here. Hours? Days maybe. Soon he would find me, and soon I would die. I pulled myself around on the forest floor, trying to find a way out. It was hopeless.

I'd been fighting fate all these years, trying to stay alive. It would have been easier, for everyone, if the hunter had just taken me that day in the mall. Renee would still be here. And Charlie. His Renee was his life. It ended the day she disappeared.

Was my life really worth it? Was it worth more than Charlie's? Than Renee's? Than Pai Mei's? And how many other innocent people had gotten caught in the crossfire of my war with the vampires?

No. I would have gladly given my life if I knew it would save them. Now it was too late.

All I could do now, was wait.

I rested my head against the trunk of a tree. It was pouring rain, and the colors of the forest blurred together in a watercolor of greens, and grays, and browns. A sharp bright light stood out in contrast, dancing through the colors. It came closer and closer until it was all I could see.

Cold hard fingers coiled around my wrists.

It was time.

"Let's go!" a velvet voice commanded. This was not the vampire I was expecting. His bronze hair was messier than usual. His eyes were wild. The tone of his voice was hard, urgent.

"What are you doing here?" I responded.

"I have to get you out of here now!"

"NO! What's going on?" I questioned.

He did not answer. Instead, he lifted me up and flung me over his shoulder. We were moving, deeper into the woods. I twisted and squirmed in his grasp.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed at him.

I pounded my fists against his back and kicked at him with my good leg. He was unfazed by the assault.

"Hello…Carlise." He was talking to someone? "Yes….I'm bringing her to the house…...I will explain when we get there……..Then tell them to leave." The phone clicked shut and we started moving even faster than before. I'd given up fighting. Now I only cried to him over and over again "stop…."

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A/N: Sorry, this chapter was a little shorter than the others, but it was the best place to end it. The next chapter will be longer.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the plots or characters created by Stephanie Meyer or Quentin Tarantino. Rated M for mature themes and violence.

He hauled my limp body into the house. We slowed to a walk as he ascended the stairs, and entered a room on the third floor. He dropped me on to a black leather sofa, and then he left. In less than a second he returned with a dishpan and a black medical bag. He set the items on the floor and kneeled down in front of me.

I didn't have time to react before I felt his fingers lightly trail down the back of my calf. He gently extended my injured leg towards him and hitched it on his knee. He pushed the hem of my pants up to my thigh.

He used his free hand to grab a sponge from the dishpan and sop it up with water. He started at the heel of my foot. Slowly and gently he moved the sponge higher up my leg, leaving a warm moist trail everywhere it touched. My heart beats sped up and my breathing deepened with each subtle touch. He rounded the top of my knee, just below the inside of my thigh. He moved back down my leg to my ankle before dipping the sponge back into the pan.

"I am going to have to re-break it in order for it to heal correctly." I could only stare at him, shocked that he hadn't yet tried to kill me, and even more in awe of my body's reaction to him.

He wrapped both his hands around my ankle and twisted it. I cried out as waves of pain washed through my body.

"I'm sorry" He whispered. His gaze briefly locked with mine. He eyes reflecting nothing but concern and compassion. He attended to my ankle. He was precise and careful. Once he was done wrapping it, he gently lowered my foot to the floor.

I watched his every action, trying to gage his intentions. It couldn't have been more than two days ago that he tried to kill me. But now, he was helping me. I knew how I felt about him. Whenever he is close to me, all sense and logic seems to fly out the window. I become lost in a world where nothing matters but him. My every thought, my every movement, my every breath, is for him. But, it didn't make sense for him to want to help me.

Unless, possibly….maybe, he felt the same way too. Maybe there was a chance that I wasn't the only one harboring these confusing, but secretly wonderful feelings.

I had to know.

"What's going on?" I questioned."

"A vampire is hunting you. If I would have left you in the forest, you'd have died."

That, I already knew.

"There will always be vampires after me. What I meant was, why are you helping me now?"

His gaze shifted to the ground. When he looked back up, his face was a solid mask that held no emotion. "Well, yesterday, in the forest, you let me walk away with my life. I felt obligated to return the favor. I'd like us to be even."

To be even. Those three little words quashed what little hope I had that he'd ever though of me as more than just a piece of meat. His bringing me here, his soft caresses, the gazes into my eyes, all meant nothing. There was no concern there. He would never want me for anything more than my blood.

"I will protect you until the situation is resolved." He continued.

No. No. We would never be even. To get even? I would have to lead him on, and make him want me, the way that I wanted him, force myself into his life, and then, at the first sign of hope, I would have to stomp on his fragile little heart. That would be even. That would be about square.

"I don't need your protection." I pushed myself off the couch. Using the furniture as a brace I limped across the room.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving!"

"If you leave, he will find you, and he will kill you. I won't let that happen."

"Why?" I stopped en-route to the bedroom door to turn and face him. "Do you want to be the one to do it." I accused.

In an instant, he was in front of me with his arms wrapped around my waist. He lifted me off the ground and pulled me back, away from my only way to escape.

"STOP!" I demanded. I clawed at his face and neck when he didn't comply with my request.

He spun me around and pinned me against a wall.

"No you stop it!" He grabbed both my hands in one of his and held them above my head. His face was inches away from mine. I momentarily forgot my anger as the cool scent of his breath overtook my senses. I leaned into him until our foreheads were touching.

He released my hands from his grasp. His free arm slid between the wall and the small of my back and pulled me into his chest. He was no longer holding me in place, he was just holding me.

"I won't let you die." He declaired.

"Why do you care. Yesterday you couldn't wait to kill me."

"Yesterday was a mistake. It will not happen again."

A knock on the door pulled us out of our bubble. He moved away, leaving me standing alone against the wall. The door creaked opened. A tiny, girl with dark spiky hair stood at the entrance.

"You can come in Alice." He called out.

The vampire called Alice, looked at me from across the room.

"I better not" She replied.

"Edward…." She hesitantly murmured.

He, turned to look at her and they looked at each other for what seemed for an eternity.

"How long?" She asked. Both pairs of eyes flashed to my face, then away.

A look of intense concentration crossed Edward's face. "Not long, maybe ten minutes at the most. He picked up her scent outside the forest."

"Carlise and I will try to intercept him before he reaches the house. Alice pivoted gracefully on her heel and disappeared down the hall.

Edward walked over to me and led me back to the couch.

"He's coming?" It was more a declaration than a question.

"Yes." He scowled.

"I have to get out of here." I tried to stand, but this time he held me in place by my shoulders.

"No! You can't keep running from him. You don't understand. He's a tracker. Once he commits to a hunt, he is unshakable. He wants you. He will continue to hunt you until he has your blood."

"So then we kill him." If he really was committed to "evening the score" between us, this was the way to do it. It should be no problem for the two of us to kill him. He would be able to catch him. And then he could hold him down while I stabbed him with….

"My sword!" I cringed. It had been left in the forest. I looked at Edward, my eyes wide.

"I had to leave it. It makes the others uneasy." He looked past me as he spoke.

"The others?" My brow furrowed in confusion.

"My mother, Esme, my brothers and sister, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, you've met Alice, and Carlise you know from the hospital."

"Are they here now?" I asked.

"No, they left. Alice and Carlise are the only ones who stayed behind."

I recalled the conversation he had when he spoke on the phone before he brought me here. I'm bringing her to the house…..then tell them to leave.

"They don't agree with you bringing me here."

His eyes flickered to mine. "It would be very difficult for them to be around you. They don't understand why I can't leave you alone."

"Because of your obligation." I insinuated.

He didn't respond. Instead he stood up and backed away from me. "I need to keep tabs on the tracker and make sure everything goes as planned." He crossed the room to the door.

"Wait. You're leaving me here."

"I have to. It would be too risky to bring you along. It shouldn't be long. Alice and Carlise have already gone to look for him. It's going to be ok. We will take care of the tracker, and then-"

"We go our separate ways and your family gets their house back, all before dark." Heavy sarcasm."

A hurt look flashed across his face. I instantly regretted my words.

"You should get some rest. Make yourself at home." He closed the door and locked it from the outside. I sat frozen on the couch staring at the world outside the window. The minutes ticked by and I started to become restless.

I limped over to the west wall of the room which was covered with shelf after shelf of CD's. I browsed through the music collection to help pass the time. What was taking so long. More than two hours had passed and they still hadn't returned. I was starting to become anxious, not knowing where Edward was, and if he was ok.

It had been almost 2 weeks since I had a real shower. I decided to take a bath to help calm my nerves. He said to make myself at home. I was sure he wouldn't mind. I couldn't keep my thoughts from straying to Edward as I soaked in the Olympic sized bath tub.

Maybe I had overreacted. I shouldn't have gotten so angry. It wasn't his fault he didn't love me. He was trying to save my life, and instead of accepting things for what they were, I had stomped around like a two year old throwing a temper tantrum. I could at least try to act civilized. After the tracker was dead, maybe, if I decided to stay in Forks, one day, we could even be friends.

Running all this time on little sleep was exhausting and my fatigue began to catch up with me. My eyelids became heavy and I drifted to sleep in the tub. When I awoke, the sun had just started to set. I pulled myself out of the tub and wrapped myself in a fluffy golden towel.

I looked around for my clothes and couldn't find them. Maybe I had left them in the room when I was getting undressed. I hobbled back into the bedroom, using one hand to hold the towel together, and the other to hold on to the wall. What I saw shocked and surprised me.

Edward was sitting on the sofa, his shoulders slumped over. His elbows rested on his knees while he hid his face in his hands. He looked defeated.

"Edward." I whispered.

He looked up in response. His eyes were dark and blank. I had never seen him like this before. I was worried. He stood up and walked across the room until he was standing in front of me. He removed his shirt and wrapped it around my shoulders. His eyes never left mine while his hands worked to close up the shirt. I stood there, unable to move. His light touch against my skin, his cool breath on my neck, the way his muscles, visible through his undershirt flexed with the movements of his arms, they were all driving me crazy.

Once he finished the last button, he helped to balance me as I dropped the towel and stuck my arms through the sleeves. His face, which was an emotionless mask, was now the epitome of sadness and regret. I wanted to wrap my arms around him, and tell him that whatever it is that's making him upset will be ok, but I couldn't. I didn't want to cross that line.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Edward fell to his knees and slid his arms around my waist. He buried his face against my abdomen.

"He got away." He whispered.

Oh. I slid my arms around his shoulders and leaned into the embrace.

"But you tried right." I said in encouragement.

He shook his head back and forth. "Not good enough."

"It's ok. I'm not afraid of dying. I expected it really. " I continued.

"Your being murdered is not ok."

He rose to his feet without breaking our embrace, and looked intensely into my eyes.

"I promise will not let him come near you. I will protect you."

"Don't be silly. You can't keep me locked away in your room forever. You don't have to keep doing this. We're even."

"You think the only reason why I'm doing this is to get even?"

"Isn't it?" I questioned.

"No. I tried to convince myself that it was. I was afraid to admit the truth, even to myself."

"Then why?" I pressed. I would never be able to figure him out. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Because, I want to be able to see you smile. I want to be able to look into your eyes day after day. I want you to feel safe when I hold you in my arms, instead of afraid. I want to know you, and…. I want you to want to know me. I want you to be with me."


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story; i just make them do what I want :)

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When he held in his arms the day I ran away from the hospital, I had been afraid. This was a different kind of fear. I was standing at an abyss. A deep black hole and on the other side was him. I wanted to turn and run away, back to the world I knew. That world was predictable, the world where all the vampires wanted to kill me. It was easy to know how to react then; I would fight them and run away. Here I was lost. It was too late to turn back. I had to jump. The scary part was not knowing if I would make it too the other side, or if I would fall to my death.

He was looking at me, expectantly, waiting for me to react to his words. I tried to find my voice, but it wouldn't come. My heart felt like it leapt into my throat and was about to explode. My head was starting to spin. If he hadn't been holding me up, I surely would have toppled over by now. I quickly tried to think through the pro's and con's of trusting my life to this vampire.

"Are you ok?" He asked. His eyes were no longer smoldering, there was something else there. The spinning was getting faster. I don't know if it was the coolness of his breath in my face, my empty stomach, or the disjointed sleep that was making me feel dizzy. I had to get away. I couldn't think straight with him so close. I pushed against his chest, and he carefully moved away, propping me against the wall so I didn't fall.

"I have to go." I attested. This was all wrong. Maybe my scent was maddening him just as much as his presence intoxicated me. He couldn't be thinking clearly right now. It would be better for both of us to get some air. Spinning. Definitely need air.

"Please, don't go." He pleaded. I ignored him. The sofa, the shelf full of CD's, even Edward all flew around me in circles while I tried to stabilize myself. I took a deep breath. I tried to push myself away from the wall, but I abandoned my efforts once I saw the floor fly at my face. Instead, I leaned back and slid down the wall until I was in a sitting position. I leaned over to my side and laid my head on the carpet. This was much better. The spinning was slowing now, but was being replaced by a thumping inside my head where a migraine was starting to form.

I closed my eyes. Much easier to think this way. I had an important decision to make. I weighed my options. I could leave. But the odds as they stood now were, I wouldn't get very far before the tracker would hunt me down and kill me. That was no good.

Icy fingers gently touched my forehead. "I'm so sorry." He spoke. "I didn't mean for this-" Shhh Not now. I squeezed my eyes tighter and tried to block his voice from my mind. I assumed he got the hint. His hand left my head, and seconds later I heard the door creek closed.

No. Leaving was not a good idea right now. At least not until I could defend myself again. That left me with only one alternative, to stay. Being around Edward was awkward and confusing; especially now that he had deluded himself into thinking that he wanted to be with me. I so very badly wanted to avoid the uncomfortable conversation with Edward that was inevitable now that he "professed his love" to me. As uncertain as I was about how our talk would turn out, there was one thing I could be sure of. As long as I was with Edward, I was safe. If he wanted to kill me he would have done it by now….

"Can you sit up?" a smooth velvet voice questioned.

"Yeah, it's just a headache. It's not so bad now." I responded. He placed something by my head. The scent of it may my mouth water. I opened my eyes. Pancakes! Five huge golden saucers topped with whipped cream and strawberries were tantalizing my once dormant taste buds.

I scooped the plate off the floor and stuffed a piece of the fluffy goodness into my mouth. "I hope they're ok." He said, "It was all we could find."

"They're perfect! I replied, shoving another bite into my mouth. I devoured them until my stomach was stuffed. I wrapped my arms around my waist and leaned my head back against the wall. "Thanks." I said, "I haven't had pancakes since…well since the last time I was with Charlie and Renee." My euphoric mood was started to fade. My last sad memory of my parents took its place.

"Your parents." He guessed.

"Yeah, Renee, my mom, made them for me the night Charlie came to pick me up and bring me to Forks. He was never much of a cook. Renee was afraid that he would feed me cold cereal every morning and she wanted me to have at least one good hot breakfast before I left. So she made me pancakes for dinner that night." I tried to smile, but the memory was bittersweet.

"I'm sorry." He said, after a few minutes of silence had passed. "It's not your fault." I responded. It was hard to make my voice sound convincing. It was flat, void of any emotion. It was so much easier not to think about them, pretend they didn't exist. It didn't hurt so much to lose something that I never had. I didn't have to accept the reality of what happened to Renee and what may have happened to Charlie. Blocking them from my mind, didn't leave time to wonder, why they never found a corpse with Renee's car. It didn't lead me to question why Charlie never came looking for me.

But now it was becoming real again. Sadness, anger, hurt, and rejection were all starting cloud the mind that I worked so desperately hard to detach from any emotion. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think she suffered." His voice interrupted my thoughts.

It took me a minute to process what he'd said. My limbs stiffened and my eyes grew wide with shock and horror once I'd realized what he said. Why would he say that? He couldn't know what happened to Renee, unless, he was there. He had been the one who ripped her out of my life.

"Get away from me!" I yelled, holding a hand out in front of my face. Murderer. I should have killed him when I had the chance.

"No! Not me!" He said quickly. "The tracker. I could hear his thoughts. All he thought of for the longest time was you, and how he was so close to having you. But somehow you kept getting away."

I shook my head back and forth, ignoring the tears that dropped from the corners of my eyes. "In the airport, before you came here was when he was the closest. You were right there in front of him. Your scent was even sweeter than he remembered when you were a child. His biggest regret is that he let you get away." He looked at me with a questioning glance. I nodded giving him the cue he needed to continue.

"Then his thoughts changed to the first time he tracked your scent. He expected you to be in the car with her. When you weren't there, he became more angry than anything." He trailed off.

"What happened to her," I whispered. "It was dark, but he could see her outline in the car. She was digging through her purse looking for something. He walked to the driver side of the car and looked inside. When he realized you weren't there, he smashed the window and yanked her out of the car."

I covered my hands with my eyes, in an unsuccessful attempt to block the images that were beginning to form in my mind. "He killed her before he fed. He snapped her neck, it was quick." He resigned.

"And Charlie." I pressed.

"He didn't get to Charlie. He followed your scent to the house, but by the time he got there it was vacant." Edward responded.

I uncovered my face and inhaled a deep breath of air. "We have to find him." I cried. "We have to get to Charlie before the tracker - "

"He's safe. The tracker won't go to him where he is now." Edward must have read the confusion on my face. He didn't wait for me to ask my next question before he continued.

"The day I ran into you, I saw it in the mind of the Officer who escorted Mike Newton's parents to the hospital. He was in shock that someone would attack the Newton's boy like that. He kept thinking, 'nothing this sad has happened since that day I found Officer Swan.' I didn't put it together then. Not until I saw the same images in the mind of the tracker."

He told me about the officer's memory of Charlie, which had lasted for no more than a second in his mind, but had stuck with Edward for so much longer. The officer had gone to the house to check on Charlie after he didn't show up for work. When he arrived at the house, all the lights were on and the T.V. was blaring, but Charlie wouldn't come to the door. Sensing that something was wrong, the officer kicked the door in and entered the house. He found Charlie lying on the kitchen floor in a pool blood. The gun was still in his hand. He tried to kill himself.

But he didn't die. He spent weeks in the intensive care unit. Once he was medically stable, he was transferred to Eastern State psychiatric hospital. "The tracker has no interesting in looking for Charlie now. Not when he knows where to find you." He concluded.

"He knows you're keeping me here?" I asked. Edward's silence was confirmation enough.

"Can you hear his thoughts now?" I questioned. "No." He looked at the ground as he spoke. "Somehow he must have figured it out. He began staying just far enough away so that I couldn't hear him anymore. That's how I lost him."

I sat quietly, staring at my hands in my lap, trying to make sense of all that happened in the last few hours. "Tell me, what are you thinking?" He suddenly asked.

"Don't you know?" I scoffed, "Can't you hear my thoughts?"

"No. I don't know why, but I am able to hear everyone's thoughts but yours. For some reason your mind is closed off to me." He answered.

Just another complication. Edward not being able to read my mind was the least of my worries right now. "Tell me what you're thinking," He pressed, "It has been torture for me not knowing."

"We have to find my sword." I answered.

"What good will it do you now, we don't know where he is." He complained.

"He wants me. He will come to wherever I am." I stated.

"He will never come here, not with Carlise, Alice, and I guarding you. He can not win against the three of us. Any attempt to try would be a death wish."

"Then send me out there. You said he is helpless against the three of you. Listen for his thoughts. Once he has me alone he will be so distracted by his thirst for my blood that he won't care about anything else. Wait until he thinks he has won, and then we'll ambush him."

"No! I will not use you as bait." He said between clenched teeth.

"He destroyed my family Edward! He deserves to die!"

"Not at the cost of your life!" He attested.

"It's not your decision to make. If you're not going to help me, I know two other vampires who I'm sure would be more than willing." I was done arguing with him. He would never understand what I was going through. He would never understand how it felt to surrender the best part of his life, to the hands of a homicidal vampire. He would not stop me from getting my revenge against the tracker.

"Fine." He said with an edge to his voice. "I'll get your sword." He rose and left, locking me in the room for the 2nd time tonight.


	7. Chapter 6 & Epilogue

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing!_**

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"Edward, No!" I yelled hoping he was still close enough to hear me. "Wait!"

The door latched and then opened. Edward leaned against the door frame, a marble sculpture of perfection. "I'm going with you." I simply stated. I was tired of lying around lethargically doing nothing. This was my fight.

I expected another argument. I expected him to lecture me on how it would be "too dangerous" for me to go with him, and list 100 reasons why it would be safer for me to stay behind. To my surprise, he pulled me off the ground and lifted me onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck. My nose brushed against the side of his jaw and I took a deep breath, getting drunk from his scent.

He hitched my legs around his hips and held onto me at the back of my knees. We swiftly exited the house. We zig-zagged back and forth, gliding gracefully through the trees. The motion reminded me of being on a rollercoaster and was making me nauseous. I closed my eyes, and that seemed to help a little.

We slowed to a walk and I guessed that we must be coming pretty close to the location where he stashed my sword. "Thank you Edward, for doing this." I said.

Silence.

It was uncomfortable. I could barely detect the sound of his breathing, and felt the need to distill the deafness that hung in the air.

"Do you think we should come up with a plan?" I asked.

Silence.

The short time I'd known Edward, I had never known him to be at a loss for words. Earlier, he had been angry, reluctantly agreeing to retrieve my sword. But he couldn't still be mad about that could he?

"Once, we get my sword back, you'll have to leave of course, but still stay close enough so that you can hear his thoughts." I tried again.

Nothing.

"I should be able to fight him off until you get there."

More silence.

It was as if I didn't exist. He didn't even acknowledge that I was talking to him.

"Oh, come on Edward! Don't act like this!" I pled.

"What?" He stated an edge to his voice. "How do you expect be to act? When you would rather die than be with me? What do you want me to do? Please, tell me, because I don't know anymore."

"Is that what this is about?" I questioned. "You're upset because you think I don't want to be with you?"

"It doesn't matter now." He replied, his voice now void of any emotion, "We're here."

He gently set me on the ground and uncovered the dirt at a spot near my feet. I couldn't mistake the glimmer that surfaced as Edward continued to dig. It was my sword. He pulled it out of the ground by its handle and laid it at my side.

I was elated and sad at the same time. I was so happy to have my weapon back, knowing that I would soon get to use it to take out vengeance on the vampire that destroyed my life. The pain in Edward's face, the blank look in his eyes was heartbreaking. I felt like someone just punched me in my stomach and knocked the wind out of my body.

"Please, tell me." I whispered.

He began talking, his voice barely more than a murmur.

"You pushed me away. I know I'm a monster for trying to kill you, and believe me I regret it so much. At that time, I thought it was just your blood that was drawing me to you. But then, knowing that I was going to lose you, to have to walk on this earth knowing that you would never laugh, or smile, or take another breath, made me realize that my attraction for you was stronger than just your blood.

"The way you looked at me with those warm brown eyes, the way you would become flustered when you caught me staring at you, I thought you felt the same way. I hoped, that if you knew my feelings for you, it would convince you to stay, and not throw your life away to some tracker, who could never appreciate all that you are.

"But I was wrong." He trailed off.

Oh Gosh. He was hurting, and it was all my fault, because he thought I didn't want him. But he was so wrong. I had been taken with him since the first time I saw him. I never thought that someone like Edward, in all his perfection, who could probably have his choice of any woman he wants, human or otherwise, would have those feelings towards me. I looked at his face now, and it told me all I needed to know. There was nothing but truth and honesty there. His words, his feelings for me were real. I had to make the leap. I knew in my heart that Edward would never let me fall.

"Edward, I-I can think of a million reasons why we shouldn't be together." I started. "But I don't care. You weren't wrong about the way I look at you. Even when you were trying to kill me, I was falling in love with you. I want to be with you too."

He smiled that beautiful crooked grin that I love. My heart fluttered in my chest and I had never been happier. Edward's face instantly brightened and his eyes lit up.

"You don't have to do this, we can find another way." He reached toward me, but I held a hand up to stop him.

"I need to do this. This is the only way. We've come this far, we can't turn back now."

"What if I don't get to you in time? I don't want to lose you." He cried.

"Trust in me." I said, "I'm not going to die. My blood, my body, my heart, I think they have always belonged to you. I need you Edward, and I can't do this without you."

He slowly nodded his head, and then disappeared. Edward knew what he needed to do. The rest was up to me. I grabbed my sword, and crawled on my hands and knees through the woods, putting as little pressure as possible on my injured leg. I used my free hand to touch rocks, tree trunks, anything I could to lead my scent away from Edward's. For this to work, the tracker had to think I was alone, and vulnerable.

When I was certain, I had gone far enough that the tracker wouldn't pick up on Edward's scent, I sat back and waited. I didn't have to wait very long before I heard his low, deep voice rumble from behind me.

"You've made me wait for so long." He sneered.

I rocked onto my knees and turned to face him. My grip tightened on the handle of my sword.

"You can't imagine all the people I've had to kill trying to find you. All those foster homes you've been, still swimming with your delicious aroma. Those poor kids. What a shame."

He shook his head back and forth, but a devilish smile played on his lips.

"And your mother….She was a delight. The taste of her blood, I imagine is the closest to yours. Of course, she was just an appetizer, you my dear, are the main course."

He stepped closer and closer to me with each word that spilled from his lips. My eye's zeroed in on him until he was all I could see. My breathing sped up and my body began to quiver as adrenaline pulsed through my veins. I brought my sword over my head and used all my strength to lunge towards him.

The blade cut through the denim of his pants and sliced off a chunk of his outer thigh. My body tilted forward from the force of my blow. Before I could right myself, his foot came up and slammed against my face.

For a second, there was nothing but darkness. My body felt like it was suspended in the air. Then, I felt the pain. It was as if a 20lb bowling ball had been slammed on my face.

I opened my eyes, and through my blurred vision, I could see the tracker as stood over me, his legs on either side of my body. I stretched the tips of my fingers and coiled them around the handle of my sword. He lifted his leg and slammed it down on my wrist, causing my fingers to involuntarily unclamp. I screamed, until my throat burned and sound would no longer come out.

Another white figure flew through the air collided with the tracker's body. I lifted my head to see that Edward had the tracker pinned against a tree. He had begun tearing away at his arms, shredding them into tiny pieces. He reached down and snapped off his leg before throwing what was left of the trackers body into the ground.

Edward walked over to me, picking up my sword along the way. He placed my sword in my uninjured hand. He lifted me off the ground, supporting my body with his, and led me to the tracker. I looked down at the tracker, my hatred for him overwhelming my senses and providing me with the strength I needed to finish him off.

"This, is for Renee!" I declared as I lifted my sword and thrust it downward, stabbing the tracker in the middle of his skull. I slowly dragged my blade in a checkerboard pattern across his face, mincing his nose, his lips, his eyeballs into a dozen pieces.

"And this is for Charlie" I whispered, bringing my sword up again, and slamming it down on his torso. I continued to stab and dice at him, until there were no recognizable body parts left.

Edward lowered me to the ground while he gathered the trackers limbs into one huge pile. He pulled a book of matches out of his pocket and handed it to me. I knew what to do. I struck the match and threw it at the pile of body parts belonging to the tracker. And that is for everyone else you killed.

Edward pulled me into his lap and cradled me in his arms. His lips lightly brushed across the tops my eyelids. He then lightly lifted my injured hand and placed soft kissed along my swollen wrist. "I…will…never….never….let….anyone…hurt you…again." He said between kisses. This felt so right, being in his arms. For the first time in my life I felt safe and loved. The tracker was dead, Edward wanted me, and we could finally be together.

Epilogue:

Being with Edward wasn't easy, in fact, it was really very hard. We were continuously moving around, running away from the bloodthirsty vampires that were constantly picking up on my scent. We barely had time to get settled in one place before Edward was whisking me off to another.

He wanted to avoid getting into fights with other vampires at all costs, which went against my instincts, and at times made me feel like a coward.

'Bella, you never know, you could be killing someone's family, or even worse, their mate.' He explained to me how strong the ties were between vampires and I understood. I, more than anyone, knew the importance of wanting to get vengeance against the person who murdered your loved ones.

So I became a fugitive, always running away, always hiding. True to his word, Edward never left my side. He fed on small animals (mice, birds, cats, ect.) just so he could remain close to me and not have to hunt.

He was miserable, but no matter how hard I tried to convince him, he wouldn't leave me. 'Nothing would bring me more pain than losing you.' He would always say.

Because he didn't hunt anymore, it made it more difficult for us to be together. Whenever I tried to hold his hand, whenever I tried to kiss him, he would push me away.

When he stopped sleeping in the same bed with me, I had had enough. 'I can't take this anymore!' I screamed. 'Stop being so masochistic and just go hunt!'

He blatantly refused.

'Then change me!' I demanded. 'Make me like you, and then we can go together. You won't have to leave me. We won't have to hide anymore.' 

Edward ranted on about my soul and refusing to condemn me to a damned life. As if the way we were living now wasn't damned enough. Edward never saw his family anymore. He was afraid to be near them, afraid that one of them would accidentally take a snap at me. And Edward's love, the one thing I wanted most in the world was unavailable to me.

I decided to take my fate into my own hands. No matter what his opinion on souls, and heaven, and hell, I knew that he loved me, and he wouldn't let me die.

Edward was occupied with his I-pod, and wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. The circles under his eyes were the darkest I'd ever seen them. Don't worry my love, I won't let you torture yourself much longer.

I grabbed my sword off the mantle of the fireplace and slid the blade horizontally across my wrist. It stung. I watched the crimson liquid spill out of my body and only the shiny surface of my sword.

He heard their thoughts before he realized what I'd done. Before I had time to think about cutting my other wrist, Edward was upon me knocking the sword out of my hand and holding me in his arms.

"Oh, No Bella, Why?" He cried.

I was distracted by the loud banging against the walls of our cottage.

"You have to change me now, Edward. If you don't they're going to kill me." The salty smell of my blood was starting to make me dizzy.

BANG The walls were starting to vibrate; the wood in the door began to splinter.

"I don't know if I can. What if I can't stop?"

BANG!

"I trust you Edward, I love you. I know you won't hurt me."

Three days. I clawed at my arms, my chest, and my face, scratching against the fire that burned in my veins. At some point, Edward held me against his cold body, pinning my arms and legs down so I was no longer able to hurt myself. I withered against him in protest, screaming until my voice went hoarse.

Slowly, the fire dissipated from my body. And then it was over. I was finally his equal.

I twisted in Edwards arms so I was facing him and whispered in his ear how much I loved him, and reassured him that this is what I wanted, and was grateful for everything he has done for me.

For the first time in months, he kissed me, really kissed me. Not the soft sweet chaste kisses we usually shared. This kiss was hard, deep, and passionate, burning deep into the pits of my stomach. We took our time, taking our love to new depths, becoming more intimate than we had ever been before.

Once I learned to control my thirst, Edward and I moved back to Forks. His family was happy to have him home, and this time, they accepted me with open arms. I attended High School with the rest of the Cullens, happy to finally have some sense of normalcy in my life.

Edward, Alice, and I visited Charlie at the mental hospital, every weekend until he died. Alice had grown attached to Charlie, and enjoyed playing board games and reading to him. Charlie didn't know me. Everytime I would visit, he thought I was Renee. He would hold my hand and tell my how much he loved my mother, and how would do anything for her, as long as she never left him. I eventually stopped trying to convince him who I really was, and became content letting him live in his fantasy so he could be happy again with Renee. After Charlie passed, my weekends were spent at the cemetery visiting his grave, which rested right next to the headstone that was dedicated to Renee.

Edward still never left my side. This time it was out of desire more than necessity. He had forgiven me for forcing his hand. But more importantly, he'd forgiven himself, for the life he thought he'd taken away from me. He finally realized that this wasn't the end, but the beginning of our new life together.

* * *

The End.

Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing.


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